Past Winners
2023 Contest Winners
FICTION
Winner:
Dennis McFadden of Ballston Spa, NY, for “Eighteen People Every Hour”
Runner-up:
A. R. Rea of Denver, CO, for “Wish in One Hand”
Finalists (alphabetically):
Jesse Lee Brooks of Baltimore, MD, for “The Regal Azul”
Blessing Christopher of Blacksburg, VA, for “Though He Slay Me”
Doug Crandell of Douglasville, GA, for “Glass at the Throat”
Naima Msechu of Berlin, Germany, for “Echoes”
Andrew Peters of Karlholmsbruk, Sweden, for “The Bye Byes”
NONFICTION
Winner:
Marina Hatsopoulos of Boston, MA, for “Breathe!”
Runner-up:
Adam Boggon of London, UK, for “The Shinty Ball”
Finalists (alphabetically):
Mark Brazaitas of Morgantown, WV, for “The Stroke Escape”
Courtney Miller Santo of Memphis, TN, for “Cancer Culture”
Susan Resnick of Narragansett, RI, for “Addiction Medicine for the Hopeless”
Deborah Thompson of Fort Collins, CO, for “Approaching Halloween”
Renee Thompson of Folsom, CA, for “The Bright Unknown”
POETRY
Winner:
Scott W. Frey of Granby, CT, for “Pink Feather Boa” and other poems
Runner-up:
Christine Marshall of Charlotte, NC, for “Fall” and other poems
Finalists (alphabetically):
Leila Chatti of Norwood, OH
Julia B. Levine of Davis, CA
LeeAnn Olivier of Fort Worth, TX
Bibhu Padhi of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Kelly Weber of Fort Collins, CO
2022 Contest Winners
FICTION
Dina Guidubaldi of Austin, TX, for “Pet Scents”
Runner-up:
Shala Erlich of Bellingham, WA, for “Night Admissions”
Finalists (alphabetically):
Genevieve Abravanel of Lancaster, PA, for “Darling”
Matthew J. Farrell of Portland, OR, for “Egyptian Peasant # 2”
Robert Morgan Fisher of Woodland Hills, CA, for “Extremity”
Tori Malcangio of Poway, CA, for “Young Blood”
Jeremy T. Wilson of Evanston, IL, for “Big Cliff”
NONFICTION
Winner:
Faith Shearin of Amherst, MA, for “Incurable”
Runner-up:
Adam Boggon of London, UK, for “Night”
Finalists (alphabetically):
Heather Aruffo of Anchorage, AK, for “Adalimumab”
Samuel Freeman of Outremont, Quebec, for “ICU”
Ben Reed of Austin, TX, for “On Raking up the Dead”
Amy Shea of Oakland, CA, for “Sweet Feet”
Mako Yoshikawa of Cambridge, MA, for “Chess Superhero”
POETRY
Winner:
Bridget O’Bernstein of Syracuse, NY, for “Ferragosto” and other poems
Runner-up:
Rebecca Lindenberg of Cincinnati, OH, for “Spiel: A Love Poem” and other poems
Finalists (alphabetically):
Leila Chatti of Madison, WI
Violeta Garcia-Mendoza of Oakmont, PA
Andi Werblin Reid of Framingham, MA
Anna V Q Ross of Dorchester, MA
Mark Smith-Soto of Greensboro, NC
2021 Contest Winners
FICTION
Winner:
Linda Wastila of Baltimore, MD for “Gone”
Runner-Up:
Suzanne Hodsden of Pickerington, OH, “Snake Oil”
Finalists (alphabetically):
Andrea Eberly of Seattle, WA for “One Hundred Days”
Robert Morgan Fisher of Woodland Hills, CA for “Extremity”
Zilla Jones of Winnipeg, CAN for “The Last Egg”
Sarah Morgan of West Linn, OR for “Housepainting”
Valerie Weingart of Salem, OH for “The Mediator”
POETRY
Winner:
Lynne Ellis of Seattle, WA for “Finochietto, or, Rib Spreader” and other poems”
Runner-Up:
Maggie Queeney of Chicago, IL for “The Patient Resembles” and other poems”
Finalists (alphabetically):
M Soledad Caballero of Pittsburgh, PA
Alex Lemon of Fort Worth, TX
Monica Prince of Selinsgrove, PA
Kiyoko Reidy of Nashville, TN
Laura Paul Watson of Pine, CO
NONFICTION
Winner:
Sally Crossley of Westbrook, ME, for “Facing It”
Runner-Up:
Jessica Watson of Land O Lakes, FL, for “Intro to Nursing”
Finalists (alphabetically):
Andrea Firth of Morago, CA, for “Fear of Infinity”
Patricia Foster of Iowa City, IA, for “Bound”
James Davis May of Macon, GA, for “Rabbit City During the Great Depression”
Jane Shepherd of Southsea, UK, for “Balancing Rocks”
Richard Sonnenmoser of Maryville, MO, for “Compatible with Life”